The SUPERNOVA Sachin : UPDATE

UPDATE 2: On Sunday, 19/12/2010, he scored his 50th Test Match Hundred. Once again he set a new bench mark for the next generation of cricketers. He, of course did not celebrate this achievement as India lost the match. Hats off one more time to this YOUNG gentleman of the game!
 
UPDATE1: A couple of days back, I read a news that Sachin refused to endorse a liquor brand for as much as Rs 200 Million per year. At the same time, the Captain MS Dhoni was in the news for endorsing a liquor brand for Rs 260 Million for three years. Comparing Sachin's offer with that of Dhoni, Sachin was to get almost three times more than Dhoni. I am not comparing Dhoni with Sachin (it would be injustice to Dhoni). I am just trying to compare the amount of money Sachin could have got had he not refused. But yet, he refused on the ethical ground that he would not endorse liquor or like. Sachin is not a gentleman cricketer, he is a gentleman!

Yesterday, Sachin Tendulkar scored a double century in limited over cricket match. Does it sound good? If no, then you better don't read this post. If yes, then you can go ahead.... because I am going to talk about some of the innings of his which I like. I would be elaborating the innings in my words and with my length.

1989, when India toured Pakistan, he was included in the team. I had seen his interview on Doordarshan before he went to Pakistan. You might have read many things about how he handled Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram and Imran Khan in that series. In the famous final test match in Sialkot, he scored half century with bleeding nose. He scored 28 runs off one over of Abdul Qadir, you would have read that also. That was an exhibition match. I would like to tell a little more about that particular exhibition match. That was a 20 over game, not of course the modern day Twenty20 match. In that era, run a ball (strike rate of 100) was something that batsman would leave for the hard hitters. Sachin scored 53 runs in that exhibition match, in just 18 balls, that includes 5 six's! That was the match that left everyone talking about him. 53 runs in 18 balls is, even in this era of fast cricket, difficult to achieve. To give you an example, in that same series, one 50-over match was reduced to 16 overs because of rain. Pakistan batted first and scored 89 runs, average less than 6. One would expect India to win easily, but India lost the match by 9 runs! The game was that slow. And there was he, who changed the game later on, scored almost at the strike rate of 300!

Of course, his international debut was miserable, he got ducks (zero) in first two one day innings. What a start, ha ha!

Turning point in his ODI (One Day International or Fifty over match) career came in 1994. Indian team was in New Zealand. In one of the games he was promoted to open the innings. I watched that game live on Prime Sports (now known as Star Sports). India scored first fifty in just 7.2 overs, which was too fast. He scored 82 runs off just 49 balls. People say that Sanath Jaysurya bought the hard hitting in the power play, but it was Sachin. Two years before people started knowing Jaysurya (1996 World Cup, which Sri Lanka won), Sachin had started using the field restriction and made quick runs. I like that innings because it established him as the opening man for India and the rest is history.

I started admiring him like a devoted follower after a few innings. One was a century in 1996 world cup. He scored 137 off 137 against Sri Lanka, the match India lost. The match is more famous for Manoj Prabhakar's nightmare bowling. (4 overs for 47 runs, two overs as spin bowler). What I liked about his batting in that match is his stamina. He got run out in 50th over, but in that over itself, before he got out, he hit a huge six. Though he was just 23 years at that time, but still if you have played for fifty overs, it is tough to hit six.

He became my batting hero after his terrific century in Sharjah against Australia, the match no Indian can ever forget. Popularly, this innings is known as "Desert Storm", I have no better word to describe this innings. In that tri series, that was the last league game and Australia had already entered the final. The fight was on between India and New Zealand. Australia posted a total of 285, and after a sand storm break it was reduced to 276 in 46 overs. To qualify for the final, India needed to either win the match or score 237 runs (254 if the match were of full 50 overs) to get better average than New Zealand. As usual, when India has to chase a big score, all hopes lies on Sachin's shoulders. He did not disappoint! He went on and on and on! He made sure that India get to the minimum needed 237 runs in time.Yet, he did not stop there. He kept going, but could not do it for longer. He got out when India were on 242 in 43 overs, his score was 143 runs off 131 balls. I remember the post match presentation, he was asked what was he thinking when India passed 237 runs, was he thinking to win the match? He said, I thought it was challenge for me and I should go for it! I love the way he plays the game! A substitute talk: The next top scorer for India in that game was Nayan Mongiya. He scored 35 runs. Sachin got out on the last ball of 43rd over. In next 18 balls, India needed 34 runs to win. With five wickets in hand, one can hope for a fight to get those 34 runs (if you doubt, then see the first ODI of current India-South Africa Series, where SA scored 40 runs in last 3 overs, with 8 wickets down). But India managed to score well earned 8 runs in next 18 balls with two recognized batsmen!!!

Another innings, which left no doubt in my mind that is he the best ever batsman was also against Sri Lanka and again, India ended up losing that match. It was in Sharjah, in 2000. It was the first match of the tri-series, featuring India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. This was perhaps the first game of the series. India batting first managed to score 224 runs. Some how the batting conditions looked very difficult because India managed to score only 10 fours in 50 overs. Sachin scored 101 runs off 140 balls, 3 fours and 1 six. This innings was played under difficult conditions. But the way he batted was superb. It is not only fours and six that makes you a great player. If you observe his batting, in the middle overs, when the field is spread, he finds gaps and takes singles and two's and three's.

Here is a picture of the celebration we had after his double century.












THIS POST WILL NEVER BE FINISHED....

Valentine's is a hard working time!

February is the month of love. Everyone gets busy finding their respective Valentines. Others, who already have Valentines, are busy celebrating it. Giving and accepting of roses, exchanging of gifts, sharing of dreams and promises to be together! How Romanticccccc...... 

A few years back (a common phrase in all my posts, I guess) I learnt about Valentine's day through the media. Since then I have dreamt of celebrating it with the love of my life. But so far, I haven't been able to do so. The only problem I had, and still have is my Valentine :( . I haven't found any one yet. Or rather I should say, no one has found me yet!! Ha ha. I have liked many girls and I still like many, but they should also like me. Here is the trick, no one likes me. No issues. God would have created someone for me. And some day I will meet her and will celebrate Valentine's day with her.... 

The guys usually have only two problems. First, finding the Valentine (which I am facing right now). Second, finding the gift for the Valentine on the Valentine's day (which I will face later)! 

When I was doing my engineering from NIT, Surat, we used to have "Injury Day" after Valentine's day (see the picture). The day symbolizes the hard fact of life. It is an expression of the first problem, finding the Valentine. You like a girl (guy). You wait till the V-day to propose to her(him). And the result you get, in most of the cases if not all, is INJURY. If she(he) accepts your proposal, then the injury will be 'constant and never ending'. If she(he) rejects it, you may get 'temporary or short term' injury. So, invariably "Injury Day" should follow "Valentine's day". 

Some lucky fellow gets away with temporary injuries. For the rest, life long pain starts. It begins with the all time hit question, what to gift her(him)?

I have two very good friends who are married. I happened to meet them just a day before the V-day. They both were a little confused as to what to gift to their respective wives. They asked me also. But I was busy with Problem no.1, how can I deal with Problem no.2! So, I left them in confused state of mind, which is the  obvious state. Then I also begin to wonder that one day I will also have to think about the gifts, then why not to start now.

Since then, I am thinking about what to gift my Valentine after I have found who is my Valentine. I am still thinking, help me if you can.. ha ha...

"Dushman" a Rajesh Khanna movie

A few years back, when I was a kid, I had watched a movie of Rajesh Khanna, called "Dushman". Dushman means enemy. I enjoyed it as it was a typical Hindi movie. I did not understand the message behind the it. Songs were good and performances were better. The first part of my story ends here.

A few years back (not as many as years as in the previous paragraph), I watched the movie again. This time I was older and was able understand the message. The movie was on television last week and I watched it again. So, I thought to share it.

It starts with a typical "bad boy" hero, Rajesh Khanna. He is a drunkard driver, with no family and careless attitude. And to add some massala, we get to see a beautifully composed song, Waada tera waada. The song ends with the beginning of the story. After the song, he gets back to driving truck with loads of hard drink. As expected, he meets with an accident. He kills a farmer Ramu. He was caught by the police. The usual thing that should follow, would be the punishment. Here comes the twist and the moral of the movie. The judge, played by Rehman, decides to do something different. He takes the permission of the jury and punishes Rajesh Khanna. The punishment is to serve for two years, but not in jail. He has to work in place of Ramu, do farming and earn bread and butter for Ramu's family that consists of Ramu's wife, two kids, one sister and old parents. It is obvious that no one was happy with the punishment, neither Rajesh Khanna nor the victim's family. Some how the punishment is enforced and Rajesh Khanna moves to Ramu's village. He gets the name of "Dushman" from the villagers and the family. Ramu's kids call him Dushman chacha.

The events unfold one after another and change the life of all the characters. Especially Rajesh Khanna. He becomes the saviour of the family and leader of the village bringing unexpected reforms.

After this, the film becomes ordinary Hindi films. He puts efforts and wins heart of everyone, including the family of Ramu.

The moral of the story is the concept that was introduced. Our system punishes the culprits. But does the punishment serve those who suffered? What about the victim? Is putting someone in jail a worth thing to do? At the other end, one can say that not everyone is like Rajesh Khanna. He became the hero in real sense for all. But in real life, it is tough.

I will not give any conclusion. I am not in a place to conclude. I leave it here.

Paradigm Shift!

A few years back I had read a book, a very famous book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. 

In one of the chapters, he mentions a very thought provoking incident that he witnessed in the UK. He talks about a man who enters a train with his kids. The kids are making lots of mischief. This gentleman, who was father of the kids, did not do anything to control them. Instead, he closed his eyes and sat carelessly. The passengers get irritated with the kids. They thought this guy is not bothered of what his kids are doing. Now the passengers and Stephen, all were pissed off.

So, one of the passengers went to the guy and told him to take care of the kids. The passenger told the man that your kids are making noise, jumping here and there, disturbing other passengers and all. Why don't you ask them to sit quietly?

This man opened his eyes, looked at the kids and told this passenger, I am really sorry for them. Their mother has just passed away and we are coming from her cremation only.

With this sentence, the whole situation changed. The kids who were irritating a few seconds ago were worth loving now. All the actions of kids are not disturbing to any passenger now....

This is what Stephen Covey calls the Paradigm Shift!

It is the change in the way you look at the things. In the above mentioned incident, the actions of kids did not change. But the way passengers looked at the kids was changed. I am sure you would have felt the same while reading.

There is one saying, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. There is nothing as absolute beauty. Everything is relative. There are people I know who do not consider Aishwarya Rai as beautiful. It is not she who is beautiful, it is the perception of the one who views her as beautiful. 

So, the bottom line is you see the world and world will be as you see.

I remember one more article written by one of my friends, Jay Patel. He mentioned two quotations written at the back of trucks. I often quote them during my sessions as well. One truck had "Buri nazarwale tera muh kala" and the other had "Dekho magar pyar se". Both intend to say the same thing, but the way in which it is said reflects the paradigm of the individual. I have experienced that a change in perception or Paradigm Shift can bring change in life. This change could be so drastic that instead of it being a mere change in life, it changes the life itself. I have done that to my life.

You too may try. What say?